Hashtag Trending Feb. 20- OpenAI’s new offering Sora; Zuckerberg says tech layoffs may continue in 2024; Reddit to sell user generated content to large unnamed AI company
Reddit will sell user generated content to an unnamed AI company, Mark Zuckerberg says that tech layoffs were a “natural response” and may continue in 2024, and the U.S. continues to invest in chip production, OpenAI launches Sora, its new text to video marvel.
And I’ve finally seen it – the first mention of a “Chief AI Officer”
All this and more on “Oh My God, Kill me now” edition of Hashtag Trending. I’m your host Jim Love, CIO of IT World Canada and TechNewsDay in the US.
Someone at Google has to be saying, “are you kidding me?” Google launched its new Gemini AI offerings which were supposed to be a quantum leap and a real threat to OpenAI’s dominance, particularly since Google was claiming supremacy in the multimedia arena.
Then, last week Open AI announced Sora. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a text to AI model that can generate a one minute video that will blow your socks off. It’s incredible in terms of its realism and the way that it has solved so many problems of existing AI generated videos.
But apparently Sora has sparked a significant debate within the AI community, particularly around the model’s understanding and simulation of physics. Critics, including prominent figures from Meta, Google, and the broader AI research community, have raised concerns about whether Sora’s generative capabilities truly grasp the complexities of the physical world.
AI scientist Gary Marcus and others have criticized not just the accuracy of the videos generated by Sora but also questioned the underlying AI model’s approach to video synthesis. Meta’s Yann LeCun and Google have pointed out that creating realistic-looking videos does not necessarily mean the system understands physical reality.
LeCun contrasts Sora with Meta’s V-JEPA model, which analyzes interactions between objects in videos, suggesting a deeper level of understanding beyond mere generation.
The debate extends to the very foundation of Sora, which uses a transformer architecture similar to GPT models. OpenAI believes this foundation can simulate the real world, aiding in the quest for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). However, critics argue that Sora’s current capabilities might not fully capture the nuances of physics, with some describing its output as lacking real-life accuracy.
Despite these criticisms, proponents of Sora, like NVIDIA’s senior research scientist Jim Fan, defend the model’s approach. Fan suggests that Sora learns a physics engine implicitly through massive video data, challenging the reductionist view that the model merely manipulates pixels without understanding. This perspective highlights a broader debate about what it means for AI to “learn” or “understand” concepts like physics.
As the AI community continues to explore these questions, Sora represents a significant moment akin to the “GPT-3 moment” of 2020, showcasing the potential and limitations of current AI technology. While skeptics and supporters alike debate Sora’s understanding of physics, the model’s development and the discussions it sparks are crucial steps toward more sophisticated AI systems capable of simulating and interacting with the real world.
This ongoing debate not only underscores the challenges in developing AI models that can accurately model physical reality but also highlights the collaborative and competitive nature of AI research, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with each new advancement.
Source: Analytics India Magazine, [OpenAI Sora Ignites Physics Debate](https://analyticsindiamag.com/openai-sora-ignites-physics-debate/).
Reddit has entered into a significant agreement with an unnamed large AI company, allowing the use of its vast user-generated content for AI training purposes. This deal, reportedly worth $60 million annually, is part of Reddit’s broader strategy to enhance its value ahead of a much-anticipated Initial Public Offering (IPO).
This is part of an emerging trend where companies are formalizing arrangements to give access and utilize web data for AI model training and receive compensation for it
Traditionally, AI firms like OpenAI have trained their sophisticated language models by scraping data from the web, often without explicit permission from content creators or website owners.
However, as scrutiny over data usage practices intensifies, there’s a shift towards securing formal agreements that grant AI companies legitimate access to valuable data sources.
For instance, Apple was reported to be in talks last year with several media companies, negotiating deals worth at least $50 million to use archived news articles for AI training.
The Reddit deal marks a significant step in this direction but also ventures into more contentious territory by focusing on user-generated content. While Reddit’s terms and conditions may legally permit such use, the reaction from the platform’s user base remains to be seen, especially considering the platform’s history of user and moderator protests against decisions perceived as prioritizing revenue over community interests.
This development comes on the heels of Reddit’s controversial decision to restrict access to its API, which had a devastating impact on popular third-party client apps. The move sparked widespread backlash from the Reddit community, many of whom took actions to try to sabotage ad sales on their content.
We eagerly await the reaction from the Reddit community.
Source: 9to5Mac, [Reddit user content being sold to AI company in $60M/year deal](https://9to5mac.com/2024/02/19/reddit-user-content-being-sold/).
In a recent discussion on the Morning Brew Daily podcast, Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, shared insights into the tech industry’s wave of layoffs in 2024, attributing it largely to a natural recalibration following the pandemic-era hiring surge.
According to Zuckerberg, many companies, including Meta, expanded their workforce significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by a temporary boom in ecommerce and remote work. However, as the world began to return to pre-pandemic norms, these companies found themselves overstaffed and financially strained, leading to widespread layoffs.
Zuckerberg emphasized that the layoffs were a response to the overexpansion during the pandemic rather than a direct result of technological advancements like artificial intelligence.
Despite the growing focus on AI and automation, which has led companies like SAP and Cisco to announce layoffs amid AI development efforts, Zuckerberg clarified that AI did not play a major role in Meta’s decision to reduce its workforce. Instead, the goal was to create a leaner, more agile company capable of doing its best work.
Meta underwent four rounds of layoffs between November 2022 and May 2023, affecting thousands of employees, particularly within its metaverse unit.
The tech sector’s layoffs in 2024, while not as extensive as those in 2023, have nonetheless impacted thousands of workers globally. With more than 39,000 job cuts reported in just January and February, the industry is bracing for potentially more layoffs as companies like Google also signal intentions to further reduce headcount.
Zuckerberg’s comments may be a realistic and even more mature understanding of running a company like Meta, but they confirm the modern ethos that employees are dispensable. I say this not as a moral judgement but as a fact. As we move into a world where the impact of AI and automation have yet to be felt in the future workforce it is a sobering fact.
Source: ITPro, [Mark Zuckerberg: Tech layoffs in 2024 have been a natural response to pandemic-era overhiring](https://www.itpro.com/business/business-strategy/mark-zuckerberg-tech-layoffs-in-2024-have-been-a-natural-response-to-pandemic-era-over-hiring).
The Biden administration has announced a significant investment in the semiconductor industry, providing $1.5 billion to GlobalFoundries to bolster domestic production of computer chips in New York and Vermont. This move, part of the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, represents a strategic effort to revitalize the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing sector, which is crucial for a range of technologies from military equipment to consumer electronics.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo highlighted the importance of the chips produced by GlobalFoundries, noting their role in powering advanced military equipment, electric vehicles, and enabling faster internet connections. The funding aims to support the construction of a new advanced chip factory in Malta, New York, enhance production at an existing Malta plant in collaboration with General Motors, and revitalize a facility in Burlington, Vermont.
These projects are expected to create 1,500 manufacturing jobs and 9,000 construction jobs over the next decade. Additionally, GlobalFoundries will dedicate $10 million to worker training and extend a $1,000 annual child care subsidy to construction workers, underscoring the company’s commitment to supporting its workforce.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a key architect of the CHIPS and Science Act, emphasized the critical role of semiconductor technology in the U.S. economy and national security.
In a world where Taiwanese companies control over 50 per cent of chip production and 20 per cen of chips are produced in Taiwan, the ever present tension between China and the island nation it claims as its own may have a lot to do with the U.S.’s new emphasis on building chip production in the U.S..
Source: AP News, [Biden admin providing $1.5 billion to GlobalFoundries to make computer chips in New York and Vermont](https://apnews.com/article/computer-chips-biden-new-york-schumer-globalfoundries-fe69bb214354695769dd615de4f9c221).
Okay, I’m sorry, No I’m not, but I’m Canadian and we pretty much have to say that. I saw this as a title of a recent white paper. “Does your business need a “chief AI officer.”
Spoiler alert. The answer is no. We don’t need another “chief” anything. This is just out of control.
Look. We have a Chief Information Officer – a real C level job. And you can call it a Chief Technology or Chief Information Officer, I don’t care. Well, actually I do. Because for years, we’ve worked to bring the person in charge of technology and its strategic use in the business to a seat at the board room table.
We’ve worked to raise not the person, but the idea that technology and its application is as strategic as finance, marketing, human resources or operations.
And then we couldn’t resist. We had a chief digital officer, and a chief information security officer and then a chief data officer and now somebody is talking about a chief AI officer.
The problem is that when every title that touches technology is a “chief” something or other, it cheapens the real C level.
No other area in the company does this. You don’t have a chief compensation officer in HR. You don’t have a chief spreadsheet officer in finance, you don’t have a chief robotics officer in manufacturing. Or maybe somebody has tried something, but they probably got laughed out of the room when they did.
It seems like everybody is trying to invent a new C level position in IT every year. And they promote it, they hype it – and frankly, the people who try to fill these roles probably go nuts. The expectation of trying to be a C level executive is something many are totally unprepared for.
If you think this is a “diss” to any of these people, you’ve got me wrong. I have immense respect for people who have specialized skills and knowledge. I think they should be well compensated and well respected in their domain of expertise. And that should occur no matter where they are on the org chart.
But the Achilles heel of IT has always been the hype. The latest technology, the latest threat, the latest this and that…
What is needed at the C level is a strategic viewpoint linking technology to the future of the business and its business results.
If companies lose that, they lose a lot. So if you have five or six C levels vying for a seat at the executive table, what they all get the capital “c” in their title replace with a small case “c”. And if we aren’t careful, that includes the real capital C of the CIO or CTO (take your pick).
And if we lose that, we lose our champion at the board room table. Nobody benefits from that. Not those who work in technology and IT a digital world, not the company and not its shareholders.
So knock it off with the new C level titles. And get behind one key place at the executive table.
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LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The tiny Mideast nation of Kuwait has banned the release of the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which features the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is set in part in the 1990s Gulf War.
The video game, a first-person shooter, follows CIA operators fighting at times in the United States and also in the Middle East. Game-play trailers for the game show burning oilfields, a painful reminder for Kuwaitis who saw Iraqis set fire to the fields, causing vast ecological and economic damage. Iraqi troops damaged or set fire to over 700 wells.
There also are images of Saddam and Iraq’s old three-star flag in the footage released by developers ahead of the game’s launch. The game’s multiplayer section, a popular feature of the series, includes what appears to be a desert shootout in Kuwait called Scud after the Soviet missiles Saddam fired in the war. Another is called Babylon, after the ancient city in Iraq.
Activision acknowledged in a statement that the game “has not been approved for release in Kuwait,” but did not elaborate.
“All pre-orders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase,” the company said. “We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series.”
Kuwait’s Media Ministry did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press over the decision.
“Call of Duty,” which first began in 2003 as a first-person shooter set in World War II, has expanded into an empire worth billions of dollars now owned by Microsoft. But it also has been controversial as its gameplay entered the realm of geopolitics. China and Russia both banned chapters in the franchise. In 2009, an entry in the gaming franchise allowed players to take part in a militant attack at a Russian airport, killing civilians.
But there have been other games recently that won praise for their handling of the Mideast. Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage” published last year won praise for its portrayal of Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age in the 9th century.
